Georgia gears up for Junior Eurovision 2017

09 August 2017 at 13:06 CEST

Georgia's Mariam Mamadashvili won Junior Eurovision in 2016 Andres Putting (EBU)

Young stars from 16 countries across Europe will eagerly make their way to Tbilisi, Georgia, this November for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. For the first time ever, a new voting structure will be introduced to allow viewers from around the world to vote online for their favourite artists!

All eyes will be on Georgian capital Tbilisi, with its rich arts and cultural heritage, for the 15th Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which has been organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and a member host broadcaster every year since 2003. The event, showcasing talented artists aged 9-14, will take place on Sunday, 26 November 2017 16:00-18:00 CET.

New venue announced

Georgia’s public broadcaster GPB will host the event at the modern 4,000-seat Olympic Palace in Tbilisi which was considered more suitable than the previously announced Sports Palace for its numerous facilities for delegations, media and fans.

New voting method for 2017

In a brand new change to the voting system, audience online voting will be available this year and will initially open from Friday (24/11) to Sunday (26/11). Viewers who would like to vote will be required to watch a recap of all songs, before entering the voting platform on the JESC official website. After this, voters will also have the option to watch longer 1-minute clips from each participant’s rehearsal. This first round of voting will stop on Sunday (26/11) at 15:59 CET.

During the live show, online voting will start again after the last performance and will be open for 15 minutes. The final audience result will be a combination of both pre-show and live voting rounds, accounting for 50% of the total vote.

Jon Ola Sand, the EBU's Head of Live Events and Executive Supervisor of the JESC, said "We are thrilled to be celebrating 15 editions of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Throughout the Contest’s history we have seen some incredibly talented children perform, some of whom are now successful artists in their own right. The new voting system is an exciting new addition that will allow millions of viewers to take part in the show once again."

The 2017 participants

Hoping to continue in their success after a win at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Portugal have returned to the Junior stage after a 10-year absence, having last competed in 2007. The line-up:

Albania (RTSH)
Armenia (AMPTV)
Australia (ABC)
Belarus (BTRC)
Cyprus (CyBC)
FYR Macedonia (MKRTV)
Georgia (GPB)
Ireland (TG4)
Italy (RAI)
Malta (PBS)
Poland (TVP)
Portugal (RTP)
Russia (RTR)
Serbia (RTS)
The Netherlands (AVROTROS)
Ukraine (UA:PBC)

Welcome to Georgia!

Georgia is the most successful country in Junior Eurovision with three victories to date. Junior Eurovision will be the first Eurovision event to take place in the country. After taking the crown in Malta during 2016, Mariam Mamadashvili is already set for big things. the 11 year-old Georgian singer has been taking private lessons at the prestigious Broadway Method Academy and has been accepted into a leading New York boutique talent agency.

Earlier this year OG3NE, who represented The Netherlands at Junior Eurovision in 2007, participated in the Eurovision Song Contest finishing 11th in the Grand Final.